Ford Recalls 570,000 Vehicles for Faulty Door Latches & Fire Risk

Ford is in the news again, but for all the wrong reasons. The car manufacturing giant recently issued a recall notice which would affect over 550,000 vehicles in the U.S. and parts of Europe.

The recall notice was issued after it was discovered that certain vehicle models were prone to engine fires due to a lack of coolant circulation. To be specific, the car giant found out that the coolant in some of vehicles would not properly circulate if low, leading to overheating of the engine which would then lead to a crack in the head of the cylinder. This may cause pressurized oil to leak through the crack and cause a fire and/or explosion.

The engine coolant leak has already led to 29 fires and could potentially affect over 300,000 vehicles across the world, with most of them being in the U.S.

Additionally, 211,000 vehicles were added to a 2015 recall covering defective car door latches. This addition brings the total number of vehicles affected by this defect to nearly 757,000.

Here are US models affected by the Ford coolant defect:

The 2014 Ford Escape

The 2014 and 2015 Ford Fiesta ST

The 2013 and 2014 midsize Ford Fusion

The 2013 to 2015 Transit Connect Van

According to the Ford recall, owners are being told that it is still safe to park their cars in their garages and drive them for now (a remedy is not expected until late 2017), but we would advise you to have the dealer evaluate your vehicle as soon as possible.

Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332 for questions. Ford’s number for this recall is 17S09.

Ford Door Latch Failure Recalls

The recall revolves around pawls (catches) in the door latch which have been shown to break or prevent the door from completely closing, making them likely to open while the car is being driven.

A defective door latch—as one might imagine—can lead to serious injuries, especially in the event of an automobile accident. It is not uncommon for people to suffer broken bones, amputation, road abrasion or even lose their lives when a door opens unexpectedly.

Here are US models affected by the Ford door latch defect:

The 2014 Ford Fiesta

The 2013 and 2014 Ford Fusion

The 2013 and 2014 Lincoln MKZ

Ford dealers will replace the door latches with an improved part, free of charge. Contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332 for more information. Ford’s number for this recall is 16S30.

Filing a Claim against the Manufacturer

According to the law, Ford owes you a duty of care to ensure that their cars (as well as related parts) are in good working order by way of issuing safety tests to spot these problems before cars are sold to the general public. When an automobile manufacturer fails in this responsibility and someone is injured or killed as a result, they open themselves up to a product liability claim and/or lawsuit.

In order to successfully recover compensation from Ford due to an injury claim caused (or exacerbated) by a defective door latch or car fire, certain legal conditions must be met.

You must understand that bringing a product liability claim is a rather complex process. In order to have the best chance at recovering compensation for your injuries, you need to seek the services of a product liability lawyer who’s familiar with this area of law.

Luckily, almost all product liability lawyers take personal injury cases on contingency, meaning that you never have to pay a product liability attorney a penny out of pocket to handle your case. If they win you compensation, they take a percentage of the award as a fee. If you do not recover any compensation, you walk away without owing your attorney a dime for their services.

Even if you’re not ready to hire an attorney at this point, you have nothing to lose by running the facts of your case by an attorney or two. Find a product liability lawyer in your area who offers free consultations, and let them advise you of your options moving forward.